1. I discovered a pink, oval shaped spot (1/2 inch long and about 1/4 inch wide) on my back that hasn't gone away or changed much at all. The only change has been one time when it got flaky, but when I took a warm bath, all the flakes disappeared and the spot looked shiny. My first thought due to my constant worrying is that it's skin cancer! WorryingAnxiety...yet another fun thing about perimenopause!2. For the first time ever in my 49 years, I discovered red, strange looking skin in between my 4th and 5th toe on my left foot. Now it's flaking and peeling.3. I decided to check my skin all over and found an area under my left breast that is pigmented and just looks odd. It's slightly raised and is the area that the underwire of my bra is hitting. Again, thinking skin cancer!!!!!!!!!!!!4. Periodically I'm getting VERY red, irritated skin under one or both breasts. I discovered that if I put powder under there it clears up in a day or so.5. About 3 weeks ago one side of my stomach started itching like crazy. It got very red (probably from me scratching the hell out of it!!!). I finally put some Cortizone Cream on it which stopped the itch and it cleared up in a few days. WHAT THE HELL IS THIS????? Please tell me that this isn't going to continue for years because I'm going to go insane. We didn't have health insurance until this week so I can finally get in to see the doctor mid-February. Thanks!

It sounds like psoriasis. You should ask if anyone in your extended family has ever had it. Mine showed up when I was 57....out of nowhere and I can only find one member of my family who has had it. Fortunately for her, it comes and goes. Mine came and never went, only got worse over the last 3 1/2 years and I now have a severe case of it that also includes psoriatic arthritis. I've just started taking Humira shots.

Now.....I can tell that you tend to get anxious about this stuff, but it doesn't sound like skin cancer to me. (I've had one of those too). The part about under your boobs sounds like mine too (it's actually called inverse psoriasis and doesn't get flaky like the rest). I use Desitin to calm the redness down in those areas.

I'm glad you now have insurance and tomorrow is February, so make an appt. at a dermatologist if you can. In the meantime, look up psoriasis in google and learn everything you can. It's not fun and I wish you didn't have the signs of it, but it's not like having skin cancer. Stress can make it worse so please try to find out everything you can about it and then just do what you can to manage it. Here's a good place to start, the Mayo Clinic:http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/psoriasis/DS00193

Hi konamom, it could be eczema too. That is mostly what is driving me insane right now. I've always had it to one degree or another but since I was in perimenopause and now menopause it has gotten so much worse. I am literally covered with it. And at time both breasts have been coverd as well. Had the Dr. check that out.Not the red/scaly/bloody/oozy stuff, thank God, but the rough scaly ( and shiny) patches that itch like the dickens when I get hot or cold or take a hot bath. I've always been able to manage it myself but looks like I am going to be going to the dermatologist as well because it has got to the point that it is affecting my quality of life. Its hard to be concentrating on the things you need to be doing when you are itching all the time. So good luck and keep us posted.

Thanks to both of you! Dee, I think you're on to something. I know it's not eczema because the spot on my back doesn't itch, and the patch of skin under my one breast is tan and slightly elevated/bumpy and also doesn't itch. I was thinking maybe tinea versicolor, but they say you generally will get only "one color" of it even though it can be white, pink, or tan. Thanks for your help and I'll let you know what this mystery turns out to be